Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
X ~ ~
P~FUSE CONTAIN~R ~VING ~SMOVP~T~ ~EAR-~5I~ANT PA~
sack~roun~ of ~he Inv~ntion
The pr~sent invention relates generally to refus~
containers and, more particularly, to a refuse container a~apte~
to extend the operat~onal lifetime of ~he containers.
Refuse containe~s, especially, for example, those
employed in mun~cipal tr~sh collection programs, are quite often
subjected to heavy use and even abuse. ~onsequently, such
containers are typically made of sturdy wear resistent materials
such as metal or heav~ duty plastic. However, even these heavy
~uty materials can over time wear under the constant use to which
the containers are s~bjected. Often, such wear occurs when the
container is dra~ged along the gro~nd from one polnt to another as
opposed to ~he intended mode of movement by lifting an~ carrying
or rolling if the contalne~ is of ~he type having wheels. ~his
type o~ constant a~use, typically wears down the lower e~ge,
perimeter or corners of the container. Once the lower ed~e,
perimeter or ~orner is worn to the point of creating a hole in the
container, the r~use ~ontainer's strength and ability ~o perform
its function is si~nificantly impaired even theugh the body of the
container may otherwise be in excellent condition.
Some cantainer man~faeturers have attempted to overcome
this problem by moldin~ or fa~ricating containers which are thicker
at the regions su~ect to exce~sive use. While this fabrl~ation
method incre~ a container~s use~ul life, eventually, the thlcker
~reas will wear and a no~ container ~equi~ed.
~0!~868
~ hl~, a r~fu~ contaln~ whi~h is ~aar re~ist~nt to th~
USe de8Cr1b~ abC~VQ 1B da9ired.
SUmmar~ of ~he Invention
~ hls and other ohj~cts of the present lnventlon arQ
provide~ with an apparatus for collection of refuse com~ri~ing a
eontalnex ~o~y defining an interior receiving area and h~ving a
f irst en~ defining an ~cce~s opening into the interior receiving
area. A second end of the container body Ls closed and has a
re~ion which is exposed to ex~essive wear during use. ~he
containe~ also has at least one wear resistent element remo~ably
and replaceably attached to the container bo~y over at leasr a
portion of the wear region to form a prima~y wear surface, thereby
protecting the wear region an~ extending the ~seful life of the
apparatu~. The wear resistent element may be formed of plas~i~ and
may be a glass filled nylon plastic . The second end of the
container body may have a cornex with the wear region com~rising
the corner. ~he wear resistent element may be attached to the
contai~e- ~o~y ~d~acent the corner. The seeond en~ of the
~ontainer body may have two corners at opposite sides of the
~ontainer body and the oach of the wea~ resistent ele~ents may ~e
~tta~hed to each corner. The con~ine~ body may be formed with at
le~st one ape~re adjacent the wear region and the wear resistent
element may include ~t least one complementary protrusion fo~
engagemen~ within the one apertu~e to secure the wear resistent
~5 element to the container bo~y.
~tlO9% 68
A~ appa~atu~ fo~ c~ ction of refuso i~ al~o dlsclose~
~omp~ising a contain~r body which d~fines an ~nterlor ~ iv~ng
area, a first end of the containor bo~y dofining an ac~oss opening
into the interior re~eiving area, an~ a second end of the contalner
S body bein~ closed. Wheels are attached to one side of the
container body a~acent the secon~ en~ ant the se~ond end o~ the
con.ainer body has a resting surface opposite the wheels. The
resting surface has a region which is subject to excessive wear
during use. At leas~ one ~ear resistent elemen~ which is remo~ably
and replaceably attached to ~he con~ainer ~ody is also in~lu~ed and
poSitione~ over at least a portion of the wear r~gion to for~ a
prl~ary wear ~urface thereby protec~ing the wear reyion and
extending the useful llfe of ~he apparatus The w~ar resistent
element may ~te forme~ of a glass fille~ nylon plastic. The resting
surf~e of the second end of the container body has two corners at
opposite sides of the cctntai~er body. one of the wear resistent
ele~ents may be attache~ ta each of the corners. The container
body may ~e fo~med with at least onQ aper~ure adjacent t~e wear
region and the wear resistent ele~ent ~ay include at least one
complemen~ary protrusion for enga~ement within the aperture to
secure the wear ~esi~ten~ elem~nt to t~e container body.
Brief Descri~tion of the Drawi~s
Figure 1 is a per~pect~ve ~ie~ of a refuse container of
the pr~sent invention having wear resistant pa~s; ~-.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the refuse
container of th~ presont in~ntion having wear resistant pads;
68
Figur~ ~A and 3~ ~re v~rtical cro~s~ ctio~al vlew~ of
the refuse contaln~r of ~i~ure~ 1 and z, ~k~n along lLne 3-3
thereof through one of the w~ar r~istant pads, showing the pad in
exploded and assembled ~ispositions, respectively; and
Figure 4 iY a vertical cross-sectional view similar tO
Fi~ures 3A and 3B, showin~ a second em~odiment of a wear resistant
pad on a refuse ~ontainer of ~he present invention.
Description of ~he Prefe~red Embodiment
Referring now to ~igu~e 1, a ~efuse container acco~ding
1~ to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown
generally at 10. The container 10 has a hollow container body lZ
having a first uppe~ end 14 de~ining an access opening 1~ into an
interior ~ash receiving area an~ a second lower end 18 which is
closed to form a con~ainer bottom. A lid 13 is pivota~ly mounted
to the ~pper end of ~he container body 1~ to selectively open and
clo~e the a~cess ope~ing 16.
The container 10 is of the ~eneral type typically l~sed
in large scale municipal trai~h collection programs, which are
expected to benefit most from th~ pre~ent in~ention. In the
illustrated ~h~lments~ the container body 12 is generally square
or re~tangular in shape, presenting four essentially distinct
sides. As is common with l~rge capacity ~ntaine~s such as are
~sed in municipal trash collection systems, a pair of wheels 24 are
mounted at one si~e of the containe~ bo~y 12 adjacent its juncture
with the container bottom 18. ~he container bottom 18 forwa~dly
of ~he wheels 24 is subs~ntially flat an~ is fonmed ~t
"~;"~ "~ V~ ' , , " ' " ,~ , ~ ,", ~,
r ~
sub~tAnt-.inlly t.h~ 3am~ level ~.q the lower ~dg~ o~ t~,e wheel5 te
serve, in con~unction with the wheel~, as a re~ting ~nrfac~ for
upright disposition of tho ~ontainer 10 thereon. A handle 25 ls
affixe~ to the upper end of the containe~ body 12 ~t the same side
S as, and ~irectly above, the wheels 24 ~o facilitate rolling
movement o~ the container 10 from one point to another . A set of
lifter b~rs 27 are affi~e~ to the container body 12 at the oppo~ite
side thereof from the handle 25 for autamated dumping of the
container using con~entional apparatus commonly mounted on trash
collection vehicles.
Disa~vantageously, trash collection personnel often do
not both ~rasp the handle 25 and roll the container 10 on its
wheel~ 2~ but ins~ead, as shown in Figure 2, ~rag the container 10
by the lifter bars 27, causing the ~ontainer body 1~ ~o s~id along
the re~ion a~ the ~uncture between the fo~war~ side and the bottom
of the body 12, as in~icate~ at 20 in Figures 1 and ~. .
~ or this reason, one or more we~r resi~ant pads 22 are
remo~a~ly and replaceably att~ed to the con~ainer body 12 at the
lowe~ edge region 20, preferably adjacent the corners formed at the
opposite ends of the edge region. As seen in Figu~e ~, the use of
remo~able we~r resistant skid pads 22 ~t the wear region 20
contac~in~ the ground causes the pads 22 to receive and suffer the
br~nt of the wear produced by ~he aforementioned abuses and thereby
pro~ects the region fro~ the wear which would e~entually create a
Z5 hole in the con~ainer, shortening its useful life. Thus, the
con~ainer of the present invontion expan~ the life of the product
~09868
by prov~1ng fo~ t~ p~riodic r~ln~v~1 of worrl p~d~3 22 ~nd the
inser~ion of n~w pad~ as explalned h~r~in~t~r with refer~nce to
Figures 3~ a~d 3B and 4A ~nd 4B.
~ efer~ing now to Figuxe 3A, a ~irs~ pre~erre~ embodiment
of the present inven~ion is shown, wherein the l~wer ~nd 18 of
refu~e container lO contains a pair of pad-attachment rececses 30
at each skid pad mounting location along the wear r~gion 20 an~
each skid pad 22 has a pair of corresponding protrusions 32 formed
on its rear s~de. ~he recesses 30 and ~he protru~lons 32 are
compa~ibly configured so that the protrusi~ns 32 snap into the
recesseS 30 to allo~ the wear resistant skid pad 22 to ~e held
securely in place during the life of the p~d as shown in Figure 3B,
and u~snapped an~ remove~ when the pad is worn. Moxe specifically,
each recess 30 has a constricted entrance opening 30' a~ the outer
surfac~ of the wear region 20 and an enlarged protrusion re~in;ng
area ~'' inwardly of the openSng 30'. Each protxusion 32 has an
enlarged outer head 3~' corresponding in size and ~hape to the
retaining are~ 30'' and a constricte~ collar portion 32'
corresponding in size and shape to the entran~e opening 30'. Each
pad 22 has an outwardly facing contact surface 40 pre~erably of a
curved configuration to present a downwardly facing lower surfa~e
40A and a later~lly f~ci~g side surface 40~. Th~s, ~he lower
surface 40~ con~acts the ~round when the container is in its
upright resting posi~ion, as seen in Figure 1, and the intermediate
2S curved porti~n of the pad alon~ ~ith the side surface 40B primarily
.
3 ~ y.,. ~ ~
~ ~09868
cont~lct t.he ~rhund ~h~ th~ cont~lln~r i~ h~3in~ d~y~d ln t~lH
m~nner shown $n Flgur~ 2.
While the p~d 22 i~ profe~ably formed of pla~tic, a metal
pad may also be employed as seen in Figure 4. The pad ~ay b~
secured to the wea~ region with a self-tapping sc~w 6n placed
through an aperture in t~e pad and connecting an inser~ device 62
to the pad. The insert device ~2 is for~ed so as the snap through
the apertur~s in the container and keep ~he pads securely in place.
As seen in Figures 3A and 3~, the wear resistant pads
lQ prefer~bly have an "L" shaped cross section. One le~ 22A of the
pad should co~e~ a portion o~ ~he lo~er end 18 and the other leg
22B should cover a portion of th~ closed bottom end of the
container 10. Additionally, ~he pads should preferably wrap around
the lo~er corner of the CQntainer as seen best in Figure l.
P~eferably, the remova~le we~r r~sistant pads 22 are formed of a
glass-fllled nylon plas~ic to an appropriate thic~ness to result
in a lon~ life for the pads.
It will t~erefore be readily unde~stood Py those persons
skilled in the a~ that the present invention is susceptible of a
broad utili~y and application. For example, the instant invention
can be use~ with o~her types o~ con~ainers with or withe~t wheels.
Thus, many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention
other than those herein described, as well as ma~y variRtions,
modifi~ations and equi~alent arrangements will be apparent from or
reasonably sugges~ed by the present in~ention and the fo~e~oing
description th~reof, without departing from th~ substance or scope
~109868
of the prb~nt inventlon. Accor~iin~ly, while th~ pre~nt irlv~ntlor1
has beQn deseribed h~r~3n ln detall in relat30n to lt~ ~)r~ferred
embodiment, it is to be understood that ~hi~ disclos4re ls only
illustrative an~ exemplary of the present invent~on and i~ made
merely fo~ pUrpOSQS of providl~g a full and enabling dlscl~sure of
the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not lntended or to be
construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to ex~lu~e
any such other embodiments, adapta~ions, ~ariation~, modLfication~
and e~uivalent arran~e~ents, the present invention being limited
only by ~he claims appended heret~ and the equivalents thereof.
